April 2017 WIPocalypse Update

WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

WIPocalypse is run by Melissa over at Measi's Musings and is now in it's 6th year (amazing!).  The object of the WIPocalypse is to stitch on projects that you want to complete before the end of the world! 

At the beginning of January I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017.  The full list of my 17 projects can be found on my WIPocalypse 2017 page.

So what did I manage to work on during April? Well.... surprise, surprise... I have a finish... happy dances all round!!! ;o)

Christmas Eve Courier: Prancer (Nora Corbett)

Fabric: 32ct Opal Belfast Linen "Arabian Nights" - Spice & Spice

Threads: DMC, Caron Waterlillies, Kreinik

Started: 3rd January 2015

Finished:23rd April 2017

The last time that I showed "Prancer" on my blog was back in July 2016 when I had finished all the cross stitching & back stitching.  I did bead the border in August 2016 but it appears that I never did show you the progress at that point...

And now he is finished!

Don't you just love all that bling?  I am so pleased to get this one finished - now I just need to get back to Comet and then I can turn my attention to starting the other 7!

12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)
I did manage to get some progress on my Plum Street Samplers "12 Days of Christmas - Day 4" during April but it is not quite finished so I will show that next month.

Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)

I showed an update on this one in my latest Smalls post so won't re-show it here!

Queen of Peace (Nora Corbett/Mirabilia)

Fabric: 32ct Opal Belfast Linen "Hole in the Sky" - Colour Cascade Fabric

Threads: DMC, Kreinik

Started: 8 May 2016

Last time you saw "Queen of Peace" was October 2016:

After some love earlier this month she now looks like this:

As you can see by this before and after picture I did do some stitching on her between October 2016 and April 2017 but again it would appear that I forgot to show it on my blog!

Zenia (Nora Corbett/Mirabilia)

Fabric: 32ct Belfast Opal Linen "Beachwalk" - Under the Sea Fabrics

Threads: DMC, Kreinik

Started: 22 October 2016

Now I hang my head in shame because I have never shown you "Zenia" on my blog to date... I started her in October last year but as I missed posting for the last 3 months of the year you never saw her started. (sorry....)

This pic is a before and after my stitching session on "Zenia" at the beginning of the month.

Deer & Grapes Mystery Sampler (Jean Farish)

Fabric: 32ct Lugana "Autumn Glade" - Stitches and Spice

Threads: DMC 

Started: February 2015 / Restarted January 2017

Since I last showed this to you I have completed quite a bit.... I was doing 17 stitches a day but have now changed that to 20 stitches a day (sometimes it's more!)  At the end of April it now looks like this:

This is really coming along now.... I have left the gap where I need to put either my name or something else as I am not sure yet what wording I am going to put in that spot.

So that's it for the April's WIPocalypse project update!  Heaps to show this time around!  The last thing I need to do is answer this month's question...

What projects are in your UFO pile?
I try not to have UFO's.... I have WIPs that are resting..... :o)  I do have some very old WIPs in a box that I try not to think about too much.  I actually did a post back in March 2015 (link is here) showing these WIPs when I found in the box....

Nowadays I keep all my WIPs in one spot and try to get to them at least once a year!!!

So there you go.... a little bit of an update on my stitching throughout the month of April. Next month's check in is on Sunday 28th May 2017. If you want to see what everyone else has posted this month, drop into Measi's blog and check out the April link up page.

Til next time, happy stitching!
Hugs xx

April Smalls

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Stitching Lotus

Unfortunately April wasn't the best month for finishing smalls for me.... but I did have one small FFO for the month (which regular readers have already seen)

Easter Card
Freebie - Cross Stitcher Magazine, Issue #42

My other "small" finish is on my Halloween Stitching:

Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)

Fabric: 28ct plain purple fabric

Threads: all DMC

April's theme was Winged Creatures so I stitched the crow and bats.  May's theme is Black Cats so I will continue with the "N" which also appears to have a bat hiding in the branches of the spooky tree...

So that is my meager Smalls update for this month....  To see everyone else's Smalls posts for April pop over to Heather's blog and check out the link up post.

Next Month – The next Smalls SAL check-in will take place on Friday, 26th May 2017 (no guarantee when my post will appear though!). 

Til next time, happy Smalls stitching

Hugs xx

April GG... short and sweet!

As per the last couple of months I have no GG stitching to show you but I did receive a gift.... which is what this blog post is all about after all....

I think I may have mentioned previously that I am in the Stitch from Stash FB group... well... one of the ladies in the group finished a design last month and decided to pass it on to another stitcher, and... I was the lucky stitcher to receive the chart :o)

And here it is:
Papillon Creations - Eightsome Reel

Ali also sent a lovely stitched card... thanks Ali - I can't wait to start it (think it will be a Stitch Maynia start!)

So that's it for this post...  I am so far behind in blog reading and posting... I doubt I will ever catch up!  I know I owe you all a very long update post... so I need to get myself organised and go through my stitching notes to work out what I have to show you.... I generally use my lunch break at work (if I can find some time to have one) to do my blog posts so when things get really crazy pants busy my posting (and reading) goes right out the window.... (and there is no sign of things letting up there anytime soon... so I will have to re-think that posting plan!!  Boss is travelling most of May though so fingers crossed I can find some "free" time to catch up!)

But I have managed to record and upload a couple of Flosstube videos which show some of my progress.. link to my latest video below (I know.. technically if I have time to record I have time to post... right?!?)

This is my longest video yet.... lots of rambling - that's me though... wind me up and let me go! I am a bit like the energiser bunny - I very rarely run out of steam when it comes to talking/rambling on!

But gals/guys... I think I have a new plan....
I am going to actually try and record a video and do a blog post on the same day - that way I should stay up to date on my blog posting and it will be a way to link both medias :o)

Anyway... I will post this now so that I can link my post up to Jo's GG post.... only a week or so late!

Have a great week... and

Til next time, happy stitching

Jo from Serendipitous Stitching hosts the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL.  The GG SAL is about stitching charts/kits or using fabrics & threads that we have received as gifts, won in giveaways or anything that is intended be a gift or giveaway prize... or anything else that you can loosely use the word "gift" for!!  If you wish to sign up for this SAL, click on link here, or the button on my sidebar and you will be re-directed to Jo's blog.

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2017

web image

Hi there! Welcome to my part of the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop for 2017..... This is another brilliant blog hop organised by Jo (Serendipitous Stitching)... I have enjoyed taking part over the last couple of years and this year is no exception!

The blog hop is very simple indeed, takes no time at all to participate... and is a great reason to spend the weekend catching up on blogs while eating chocolate and hot cross buns! ;o)

So what do we blog hoppers need to do?  Post a picture of something we have stitched that relates to Easter or Spring, add in the Mystery letter somewhere in the post... and then link to the next person in the blog hop!  Simples! Right? Yep... so let's get on with the hop...

My stitching picture is a brand new finish.... I have held off posting this finish for a couple of weeks just so I could use it for the blog hop...

Easter Card
Freebie - Cross Stitcher Magazine, Issue #42

This sweet card is actually for an Easter Exchange so fingers crossed the recipient has received it before she sees it on my blog....  The original kit included a plain yellow card which I was going to embellish with ribbon... but I didn't really like the card colour so I went for a shopping trip in my stash boxes... and, in my stash of card blanks I found this lovely set of spring styled cards - which I think worked so much better than the plain card (hope my exchange partner likes it)

Ok... so that is the Easter/Spring inspired stitching... now onto what you are all looking for - the mystery letter!

So, now that you have collected the letter "N" from me... you need to hop along to the next blog on the list (link below) and collect more letters til you have the mystery phrase.

The final step after visiting all the blogs, collecting the letters and working out the mystery phrase is to hop over to Jo's blog and leave a comment with what the mystery phrase is. Can't wait to find out what it is going to be this year :o)

Ok... so where are you going to next?  Click on the image below and you will find yourself visiting with DJ at Tickled Pink in Stitches.

Say hi to DJ for me.... Enjoy the blog hop and don't forget to collect your letters and head over to Jo's blog to leave a comment with the mystery phrase.

Til next time, happy stitching!
Happy Easter to you all
Hugs xx

Smalls Check In - March 2017

The Smalls SAL is hosted by Stitching Lotus

Late again.... I had planned to get this post up over the weekend but time got away from me and here we are, it's Wednesday and I am finally getting myself organised and posting! Oh well... that's life!

So what do I have to show for the March Smalls post?  Mainly all mini finishes this month - no real stand alone Smalls, but a finish is a finish, right?

Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)

Fabric: 28ct plain purple fabric

Threads: all DMC

Finished the EE's complete with their spiders and cobwebs.  Technically this is one whole design but I have broken it down into parts for another SAL so each part is a mini-finish in my book :o)

Update pic of the whole project so far below

12 Days of Christmas - Plum Street Samplers

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Gold Digger" - Colour Cascade Fabrics

Threads: Jodryi Designs (Wuthering Heights, Sense & Sensibility, The Olde Curiousity Shoppe, Midnight Hour)

I managed to get both Day 2 and Day 3 finished in March.  Day 2 should have been finished in February but it sneaked over into March by a couple of days...

Day 2

Day 3

Lakeside Fantasy SAL - Durene Jones

Fabric: 28ct Jobelan "Silver Springs" - Colour Cascade Fabrics

Threads: DMC, Border - "Heliotrope" Cottage Garden Threads

December is finally done!! I have started January, February and March but my March goal was to finish at least one of the blocks during the month, so I concentrated on December for a few days.  So without further ado... let me present "Girl with Robin" (sounds like a famous painting, doesn't it?)

and last but not least....

Snow Story: Warm Hearts - Lizzie Kate

Fabric: 32ct Belfast "Into the Blue" - Stitches & Spice

Threads: Weeks Dye Works as charted

I showed this one on my WIPocalypse post but it also belongs here as it is a Small in its own right - I just decided to stitch them on one piece of fabric.

So that's it from me for this month....  To see everyone's Smalls posts for March, pop over to Heather's blog and check out the link up post.

Next Month – The next Smalls SAL check-in will take place on Friday, 28th April 2017 (no guarantee when my post will appear though!).  

See you next month! Happy Smalls stitching

Hugs xx